Hui Wen Cheng

• Ph.D
• Taipei Medical University

Blue light-induced phototoxicity plays an important role in retinal degeneration and might cause damage as a consequence of smartphone dependency. Here, we investigated the effects of periodic exposure to blue light-emitting diode in a cell model and a rat retinal damage model. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were subjected to blue light in...

To determine the toxic effects of long-term topical usage of fluorometholone (FLM) on ganglion cells using a direct in vivo retinopathological Brown Norway (BN) rat model. The BN rat retinal model was investigated with a minimum of three rats and a maximum of four rats per group. Rats received vehicle and 0.02% FLM suspension via topical administra...

Background In the past several decades, Polygonum viviparum L. (PV) was reported to have antibacterial, antiulcer, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiarthritic properties. The anti-inflammatory pathway was recently elucidated through cytosolic nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 protein exp...

A method for attaching a conductive particle to the apex of a probe tip comprises the steps of: moving the apex of a probe tip close to a conductive particle and applying a bias voltage between the probe tip and the conductive particle so that the conductive particle can permanently attach to the apex. The method uses only a bias voltage to transfe...

Chronic liver diseases, including cancer, are characterized by inflammation and elevated serum ferritin (SF). However, the causal-relationship remains unclear. This study used primary rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC) as a model to investigate effects of physiological SF concentrations (10, 100 and 1000 pM) because HSCs play a central role in the de...

To explore the effects of metformin dose on cancer risk reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes. Population-based cohort study. National Health Insurance program Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. A total of 65,754 age- and gender-matched patients without diabetes and no previous cancer diagnosis were extracted from the database. We compare...

Background: Polygonum viviparum L. (PV) is a member of the family Polygonaceae and is widely distributed in high-elevation areas. It is used as a folk remedy to treat inflammation-related diseases. This study was focused on the anti-inflammatory response of PV against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages. Results:...

Hypoxia-mediated neovascularization plays an important role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). There are few animal models or effective treatments for AMD. Here, we investigated the effects of the flavonoid silibinin on hypoxia-induced angiogenesis in a rat AMD model. Retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells were subjected to hypoxia in vit...

Malawi is a sub-Saharan nation with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence of 12% and the largest proportion of those infected beings between the ages 15–49 years. In Malawi, HIV is not only a health problem but a socioeconomic one; the impact of which is being felt at family, community and national level. The fight against HIV is led by the...

The study was to examine the effects of Sanguis draconis ethanol extract (SDEE) on streptozotocin (STZ)- and cytokine-induced β-cell damage. In vitro, SDEE did not cause cytotoxicity below 200 μg/ml, and can prevent STZ (5mM)-induced cell death and apoptosis below 100 μg/ml on RIN-m5F cells. SDEE inhibits IL-1β/IFN-γ-stimulated NO, TNF-α release, a...

We previously showed that thrombin induces interleukin (IL)-8/CXCL8 expression via the protein kinase C (PKC)α/c-Src-dependent IκB kinase α/β (IKKα/β)/NF-κB signaling pathway in human lung epithelial cells. In this study, we further investigated the roles of Rac1, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and Akt in thrombin-induced NF-κB activation and IL...

Safflower, whose botanic name is Carthamus tinctorius L., is a member of the family Compositae or Asteraceae. Carthamus yellow (CY) is the main constituent of safflower and is composed of safflomin A and safflomin B. Dried safflower petals are used in folk medicine and have been shown to invigorate blood circulation, break up blood stasis, and prom...

Musk is an important crude drug in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is used in the manufacture of perfume. Traditionally, the gland was picked after killing the male deer. As a highly valued ingredient of Chinese medical remedies, the wide use of this substance has made this animal near the edge of extinction. Hence it is necessary to find a substi...

Compendium of Malawi Traditional Medical Plants About the Book This book will be of interest to health professionals, pharmacy students studying Pharmacognosy, botanists and medicinal chemistry and social scientists who are involved in the delivery of primary healthcare, traditional medicinal plants research and formulation of policies regarding ut...

The genotoxic potential of podophyllin (PD) was investigated in this study. PD increased bacterial revertants and abnormal chromosomal structures in a concentration-dependent manner, both with and without metabolic activating enzymes, and increased the incidence of micronuclei in imprinted control region mouse reticulocytes. Results from three stud...

In this study, we examined the regulation of NF-κB activation and IL-8/CXCL8 expression by thrombin in human lung epithelial cells (EC). Thrombin caused a concentration-dependent increase in IL-8/CXCL8 release in a human lung EC line (A549) and primary normal human bronchial EC. In A549 cells, thrombin, SFLLRN-NH 2 (a protease-activated receptor 1...

The effects of the naphthoquinone analogue, naphthazarin (Nap), and its derivative, methylnaphthazarin (MetNap), on vascular reactivity were studied using isolated rat aortic rings and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In this study, we determined vessel tension, nitric oxide (NO) formation, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) a...

The effects of a naphthoquinone analogue, shikonin/alkannin (SA) and derivatives (acetylshikonin and β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin), on vascular reactivity were studied with isolated rat aortic rings. At lower concentrations, SA and its derivatives concentration-dependently inhibit the agonist-induced (acetylcholine and histamine) relaxation in PE prec...

In the present study, the effect of sanguinarine (SANG) on smooth muscle was investigated in thoracic aorta isolated from rats. SANG dose-dependently relaxed the phenylephrine (PE, 3 microM)-precontracted aorta; and the concentrations to produce 50% relaxation were 3.18 +/- 0.37 and 3.42 +/- 1.14 microM, respectively, in intact and denuded aorta. T...

Proper regulation of the acclaimed functionality and safety of the health food is a consensus among the health authorities of every nation. The objective of this study is focused on the methods development for safety and functionality of hepatic injury prevention of health food using CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity as model. The result from this study...

The benzophenanthrine alkaloid, sanguinarine, was studied for its effects on isolated mouse phrenic‐nerve diaphragm preparations. Sanguinarine induced direct, dose‐dependent effects on muscle contractility. Sanguinarine‐induced contracture was partially inhibited when the extracellular Ca ²⁺ was removed or when the diaphragm was pretreated with nif...

A novel photo-oxidation product containing a six-membered 1,2-dioxane ring was isolated from the photolysis of indomethacin in methanol and a possible mechanism is proposed.

The influence of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) on the solubility, photostability, and the in-vitro permeability of alkannin/shikonin enantiomers (A/S) was investigated. Solubility of A/S increased approximately 200 fold at 50% HPCD. The phase-solubility diagram revealed the formation of a 1:1 inclusion complex of A/S-HPCD and a stability cons...

Alkannin/shikonin ((±)-5,8-dihydroxy-2-(1-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-pentenyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone), isolated from Macrotomia euchroma, is sensitive to light exposure. A chloroform solution of alkannin/shikonin was exposed to sunlight for 1 month. The major photolytic product, a newly discovered naphthoquinone derivative, was isolated by adsorption chromato...

Trichomonas vaginalis, a human protozoan parasite known to lack the capability of synthesizing purine and pyrimidine nucleotides de novo, was found also incapable of converting its ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides. The only apparent means of providing deoxyribonucleotides for DNA synthesis relies on salvaging exogenous deoxyribonucleosides b...

Tritrichomonas foetus and Trichomonas vaginalis are both incapable of de novo purine nucleotide synthesis. Previous studies indicated that T. foetus relies mainly on the salvage of hypoxanthine and subsequent conversion of IMP to AMP and GMP, whereas T. vaginalis depends on direct conversions of exogenous adenosine to AMP and guanosine to GMP witho...

Trichomonas vaginalis is incapable of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis because it cannot incorporate bicarbonate, aspartate or orotate into its pyrimidine nucleotides or nucleic acids. The organism can salvage exogenous cytidine > uridine > uracil and thymidine, and incorporate them into the nucleotide pool. A portion of cytidine is converted to CMP...

The anaerobic parasitic protozoa Tritrichomonas foetus is found incapable of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis by its failure to incorporate bicarbonate, aspartate, or orotate into pyrimidine nucleotides or nucleic acids. Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase in the cytoplasm provides the major pyrimidine salvage for the parasite. Exogenous uridine and cy...

Trichomonas vaginalis is a human protozoan parasite adhering to the epithelial layer of the infected urogenital tract and causing trichomonial vaginitis (1). It is incapable of de novo synthesis of either purine (2) or pyrimidine nucleotides (3). The lysed epithelial cells from the infected host may provide an abundant source of nucleic acids, whic...